上帝經常幹預人的自由意志 GodRegularly Interferes with Human Wills by Robert Bernecker
作者： Robert Bernecker 譯者/校對者: Maria Marta/駱鴻銘http://www.reformationtheology.com/2013/09/god_regularly_interferes_with.php
以下是《誰是你的父親: 回到上帝(聖經中所啟示的上帝) 的愛》 (Who's Your Father: Returning to the Love of the Biblical God ) 羅伯特?本裏克(Robert Bernecker) 著，第二章的摘錄(蒙允許刊登)
從創世記到啟示錄，上帝自由地幹預人的意志來完成祂自己永恒的旨意。即使出現在啟示錄十七章罪大惡極的叛亂者，也要「遵行祂的旨意」（17節）。從這段經文所描述十個罪惡叛逆王的選擇和行動中，我們清楚得知，「神使諸王同心合意，遵行他的旨意，」（17節），在這種情況下，祂不可避免地征服這些反叛國王和人民。（第14節）
這些經文在數量上集體的優勢，徹底打破如下概念：上帝是某種的「君子」，既不能、也不願意改變人心和意志（以及他們的選擇） 來達成自己的目的。事實上，詩篇三十三章10節的教導正好相反：「耶和華破壞列國的謀略，使萬民的計劃挫敗。」（新譯本） 我們所讀到的不是：主尊敬列國的謀略，和認真尊重萬民的計劃。相反，我們被告知，「耶和華作王，萬民當戰抖；祂坐在二基路伯上，地當動搖。」（詩篇九十九1）。我們應該學習耶利米，宣告認識榮耀的真理，「耶和華啊，我曉得人的道路不由自己，行路的人也不能定自己的腳步。」（耶十23）
和我們今天很多流行的教導相反，我們的天父顯然經常地乾預人的自由意志。這是我們重大的損失，我們已經遠遠地偏離歷史上的信仰告白：上帝以主權參與祂所創造的萬物的每一方面。事實上，奧古斯丁（Augustine） 毫不掩飾自己不屑任何這樣的主張，人為地限制了上帝的統治地位，他直言寫道，上帝不改變人的意志（無論他何時與怎樣選擇） 的聲言，是「褻瀆上帝」和「愚蠢的」聲音。[註4] 我們必須為這種愚蠢悔改，相反地，我們應該讚美祂改變了我們的意志！無論出於何種原因，許多自稱「上帝是個君子」的人，從來沒有考慮過，如果上帝沒有影響、改變、幹擾人類的墮落意志，這個世界將會是怎樣的後果。的確是多麼可怕！
[4] 奧古斯丁:《The Enchiridion》 J. B. Shaw譯
(Washington: Regnery Publishing，2002) ch. 98，p. 112.?
God
Regularly Interferes with Human Wills by Robert Bernecker
The
following is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of Who's Your Father: Returning to the
Love of the Biblical God by Robert Bernecker (posted with permission)
From
Genesis to Revelation, God freely interferes with human will to accomplish his
own eternal purpose. Even the great sinful rebellion seen in Revelation 17 is
said “to carry out God’s purpose” (v. 17). In regards to the choices and
actions of the ten sinful, rebellious kings described in this passage, we are
told explicitly that “God put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose”
(v. 17), which in this case will be his inevitable conquering of these
rebellious kings and people (v. 14).
The
collective preponderance of these many Scriptures thoroughly dispels the notion
that God is somehow a “gentleman” that is either unable or unwilling to turn
the hearts and wills of humans (and thereby their choices) to accomplish his
own purpose. In fact, Psalm 33:10 (NASB) teaches us the exact opposite: “The
Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the
peoples.” We do not read that the Lord honors the counsel of the nations and
carefully respects the plans of the people. Instead, we are told, “The Lord
reigns, let the people tremble!” (Psalm 99:1). We should learn from Jeremiah,
who declared his awareness of this glorious truth in Jeremiah 10:23: “I know, O
Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to
direct his steps.”
Contrary
to much popular teaching of our day, our Father clearly can and regularly does
interfere with human free will. To our great loss, we have drifted far from the
historic confession of God’s sovereign involvement in every facet of his
creation. In fact, Augustine made no effort to conceal his disdain for any such
suggestions that would artificially limit God’s ascendancy, and he wrote
bluntly that it was “blasphemous” and “foolish” to assert that God does not
change the wills of men whenever and however he chooses.4 We must repent of
such foolishness, and we should instead praise our God that he does change our
will! Many who profess that “God is a gentleman” have probably never considered
the consequences of a world where God, for whatever reason they may assert, did
not actually influence, change, and interfere with humanity’s fallen will. How
horrible indeed that would be!
